Fuel control for furnaces



` R. W. 4DE: LANCEY i 'FUEL CONTROL FOR FURNAcEs "Oct, 14,' 1947.

, 1945 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15

INVENTo /PALPH W 0E ANCEY ATTORNEY Oct. 14, 1947.

R. w. DE I ANcr-:Yv

FUEL CONTROL FOR FURNACES Filed Nav. 15, y1943 2'sn'eetssneet 2 lNvEN-roR /FMLPH W DE LANCEY/ ATTORNEY OPEN/NG VALVE OPEN/NG VALVE OPEN/NG Patented Oct. 14g 1947 2,428,867

FUEL CONTROL FOR FURNACES Ralph W. De Lancey, Meriden, Conn., assigner to VThe Miller Company, Meriden, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application November 13, 1943, kSerial No. 510,184 Y 11 claims. l

The present invention relates to fuel control for furnaces, and is more particularly directed toward the control of liquid fuel supplied to house heating or portable furnaces where the control tions which must be, performed inexposed loca j 2 tions, and in drying and dehydrating equipment. For the primary'purpose above mentioned the furnace is adapted for operation as an isolated portable unit and employs gasoline or fuel oil of the starting and stopping of the furnace opera- 5 for fuel and an internal combustion engine (or tion does not include the conventional room therelectric motor) to operate a blower to produce the mostat. blast of air.` The furnace has a vaporizing type Where a room thermostat `is employed the liquid fuel burner supplied with fuel through a liquid fuel burner is operated intermittently, the vgravity feed line under the control of a metering duration of the firing period and the length Vof valve, and the entire starting, stopping and firing the cycle can therefore Vary so as to compenrate control for the burner is accomplished sate for Variant outside ambient temperatures. through this metering valve. The metering valve Where the fuel control is entirely manual as to is normally completely closed and is adapted to be time of start and rate of flow, as in space heaters manually opened when the burner is to be startor furnaces with simple manual Valves, the B. t. u. ed in operation and manually or automatically output of the burner remains substantially con- Vclosed whenoperation of the burner is to be disstant and therefore the rise n temperature of continued, and the extent of opening of the meterthe heating medium would be about the same, ing valve is controlled throughout the period that The setting made-manually may therefore be too -the burner is in operation by a thermal motor high or two low a short time later when the subjected to the air in the passages through which outer ambient temperature has changed. A setthe air to be heated is circulated. ting satisfactory for a cool evening will result in When the heater is not in operation the meteroverheating the house, should the Weather modvine Valve iS held CIOSed in any Suitable manner, erate during the night, .while insufficient heat will and manual means iS provided for opening the be had, should the temperature take a sudden metering valve to allow fuel to flow from a fuel drop. Y storage chamber down into the vaporizer. The The present invention contemplates that after fuel in the vaporizer is lighted either electrically the furnace is broughtinto operation the circuor by means of a 130TCh,eI1d JEhe burner Operates lation of heating medium whether air or water as a natural draft burner during the initial Dleshould be continuous untilY the furnace is shut heating period, and during this period the ow down. Accordingly the manual control whereby rate is that determined by the extent to which the `the metering valve is initially opened and is inalmetering Valve iS then Open. f n i 1y close-d is associated with an overriding control The operation of the burner under naturel responsive to attained temperature of the circudraft warms the furnace and the thermal motor, lating medium which alternately lowers the flow and this thermal motor then takes over control rate below the maximum possible flow rate in an of the metering valve. YThe initial preheating peamount to substantially lower the heat output, riod for the furnace also allows preheating of the and then allows the flow rate to increase to build internal combustion engine to operate the blower up the ring rate and output so that'the tem- 40 so that this blower can'be'put into operation when perature attained by the circulating medium may desired. The operation of the blower which supbe confined within a comparatively narrow range, pliesl forced draftto the burner, as well as circuand this is accomplished irrespective of changes lates air through the passages in the furnace, in the ambient outside temperature provided the makes it possible to consume fuel at a higher rate temperature. rise required does not exceed furnace 45V than it could be burned under natural draft, and CeDaCty- Y in order to permit operation at this high rate An illustrative embodiment of the present inand accelerate heating up of the `furnace the vention is one designed as aVv portable heater for thermal motor is arranged to allow the metering use at extremely 10W temperatures, fOr' eXample, i valve to come to its greatest opening so that the minus F., in theheating of .automotive equip- 50. entire equipment is rapidly brought t0 a higher ment so that'it may be started, many of the fe-atemperature. tures are suitable vfor more general use, such as As this initial forced draft ring rate is muc heaters for smalhbuildings and enclosures, unit greater than the firing rate necessary to mainheaters forlocalized heating, vheaters for operatain the heater at the optimumtemperaturefde- 55. .,Siled the thermal motor scarranged to gradually reduce the fuel supply, and this reduction of supply of fuel continues until the optimum temperature is reached at which time the fuel supply is reduced to an amount suicient to keep the burner in operation but insufficient to heat the furnace to the desired temperature. This causes the thermal motor to cool off which effects an opening of the metering valve so as to supply more fuel. It will thus be seen that during an initial operation of the burner it can operate at a very high firing rate, while during normal operation the firing rate continuously changes froman intermediate high ring rate to a moderately low ring rate. A 'f As the combustion capacity of the burner Yexceeds the fuel feeding capacity of the metering valve and the thermal motor .follows very closely the combustion rate of the burner, the metering valve is moved back and forth in a comparatively short cycle. In this manner the desired temperature for the blast of air ismaintainedwithin reasonable'limits and the metering valve is continuously'moved back-and forth. In an installation the rapidity of-Athis cycle willrdepend upon the temperature rise required 'to reach the temperature required. I 1

Where the present invention isernbodied in stationary heaters,-such.as space heaters, 'any suitable form of.. liquid fuel burner. and meteringvalve may be used with aisuitable form of. space heater. It may beused where vpower is available for` forced draft and forced circulation or lwithfa natural draft burner operating in a circulating heater. The physical layoutof the apparatus may therefore be considerably varied. i Y w The accompanying drawings. show, for purposes of .illustrating the present invention, an embodimentin'which theinvention may take form, it-being understoodthat the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In these drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View. through a portable heatertaken on the line-'I--l of vFigure 3, the parts being .arranged for delivering contaminatedair and the-metering valve closed;

Figure 2 is afragmentaryvertical sectional view taken on the line vI--`I 4of Figure 3 looking in a direction oppositel to Figure'l, but at a larger scale, showing the metering -valve in-full lines .-in open position and iii-'dotted lines in closed position; Figure 3 is an end `elevational view tak-en from the left of Figure 1 showingthe furnace dotted lines and the vcontrol mechanism .for the metering Avalve in full lines, theparts being in the starting position and cold; i

y Figure 4 is `a fragmentary view of .theair temperature responsive mechanism taken in the same `direction as Figure 1 showing the parts in the position for maximum nre; Y Figure 5 is a viewsimilar toFigure 4 showin the parts in an intermediate operating .position where the firing rate is being controlled by the air .temperature responsive apparatus; .Figure 6 is an. enlarged sectional view taken o the same plane as Figure 41 showing the left end of the air temperature responsive thermostat;

Figure 7 is a view taken similar to'Figure 6 but vshowing the right hand end of the air temperature responsive thermostat; Figure 8 is va section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a diagram illustratingthe various .positions of the metering valve during operating cycle. l

The bottom housing unit A of the portable hot.

vbaffle SII. having a deiiector 3l'.

'to the fuel line 6e.

4 air heating furnace has a semi-cylindrical bottom housing member 29, to which is welded a tubular burner housing 2l This burner housing tube extends below the bottom housing member 20 as indicated at 2Ia (Figure 1) and above it as indicated at 2 Ib. The unit A also has legs 22 for support.

' The combustion drum C has an outer cylindrical body 24, and end walls 25 and 26. These end walls have aligned openings 21, which receive air tubes 28. The bottom part of the drum body 24 .is provided with an opening 29 in which is welded a downward extending fire tube 3! near one end of 'the combustion drum and concentric with tube 2|. 'The adjacent wall 25 of the combustion chamber supports an inverted box-like This baiile protects the adjacent portions of the air tubes 28 'from direct impingement of the ame and yet permits the hot gases to pass out about these air tubes. The combustiondrum'is'prov-ided with a stack `vopening 32 atthe top 'and at the end opposite the fire tube 3i); -Theupper edge of the tube 2i engages the lower surface Yof the drum 24 inthe side away from the end wall 25 so as to provide an opening 31 vfor supplying air to the burner B. A short tube 38 is welded into the stack opening 32. f

rIhe'top housing unitlD has-a semi-cylindrical top housing member-'40, similar `to the bottom housing member 2,v but provided with an opening il over the stack `tube :38. The top housing member 48 fits oven-thetoprof'thecombustion `drum and thctopand bottom housingfmembers are secured together in any suitable manner. the

Vstack tube lia-.passing up through the opening :4|

The stack. E -is provided with arenewable cap 'F.so thatV theproducts of Ycombustion may pass up the stack `or not as desired. In order tapermit the products of combustion to escape from the drumV without going .up the stack, .the end wall 26. of the drum is provided .with flanged opening 46 adaptedto receive .and support a reversible plug G. When the plug` is in the position shown it permits the products voffcombustion to escape through it. When, however, the'fplugj Gis withdrawn, reversed end for end .and reinserted the products of combustion cannot pass through. The air delivery cover H' shown herein is one adapted to receive va-duct, usually of fabric, for

:conducting air tothe region -to be heated. It

serves to receive the airA blown through the cornbustion drum and the space between the combustion drum and-.thehousing las `welll as the `contaminated air when the plug. Gand-the cap F are in proper position for delivering contaminated air.

The fuel supply .tank VI delivers .fuel through pipes 62, 63 and 6 to the xedly supported burner control valve unit B.

The body casting ofthe burner .valveA control unit B is designated by thereference character It hasa float chamber 'Il which` is closed off by a cover 12. Thecoverhas a rearwardly extending tubular coupling element 'i3 for coupling Avalve seat member M is threaded into the cover member 12 and this valve seat member jl'il receives va valve Vpin 15 whih 1S normally controlled by a float'l 16 hinged operate similarly to the float valve in an autol mobile engine carburetor and maintain a predetermined supply of fuel in the iloat chamber 1|.

The casting is provided with an outlet valve seat insert 18 at the bottom of the oat chamber, which cooperates with a metering valve stem 19 urged upwardly by a spring 80 and downwardly by mechanisms to be described. This valve forms the metering valve for the burner.

The constant level valve and metering valve are under manual control for the purpose of starting and stopping the burner and the metering valve is under continuous automatic control for normal continuous operation. These controls will now be described. y

The starting lever for opening the fuel line into the fuel chamber 1| is shown at 8 I. It is pivoted at 82 to the U-shaped stamping 82 carried by the cover member and has a general horizontally extending arm 83, which overlies the top of the cover member 12. When it is in the burner operating position shown in Figures 2 and 3 the inner end of this arm 83 is latched in place by a lever Y 84 pivoted at 85 to the stamping 82' and having a rear extension 86.

When the starting lever 8| is latched in this normal 'operating position, the arm 83 presses down on a pin 81 which extendsV through the oat chamber cover 12 and normally rests on the top of a leaf spring 88. This leaf spring is carried by the underside of the cover 12 andis normally urged upwardly. It is arranged as shown in Figure 3 to be free of the floatV mechanism when inI that position, but when the starting lever 8| is in the shut off position, as indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 2 and in `full lines in Figure 1, the pressure on the leaf spring 88 is removed and so as to move it into the position to move the valve 15 to. closed position and atV the same time it will lock the float mechanism against vibration during shipment or transportation of the burner.

The starting lever 8| has a cam 89 adapted to act on a lever 90 pivoted to the stamping 82" at 9| and urged downwardly by a coiled spring 92.

The lever 90 carries a leaf spring 93 whose position can be adjusted by high re adjustment screw 94. The free end of the spring 93 extends above shoulder 95 on the valve stem 19 and is out of contact with this shoulder when the parts are in starting position. The spring 93, however, limits the height -to which the metering valve stem may be moved by the coiled spring 88.

When the starting lever 8| is shifted to open the valves and the furnace is cold, the metering valve will open to an extent determined by the air temperature control unit L in a manner to be described below. The fuel will then be allowed to flow through the'meterin'g valve at a predetermined rate which is the proper rate (more than pilot and less than maximum re) for starting the burner. The fuel will pass down a slop- -ing passage |05, see Figure 1, and enter the vaporizer |06, forming the other end of the body 1'0 of the burner unit B. Tostart ignition a torch may be inserted through a normally closed light- Ying tube |30 as described fully in application Serial No. 510,181. Y

The vaporizer |06 has a central air tube |01 and a row of downwardly and inwardly extending air holes or drillings |08. The vaporizer carries a perforated sleeve |09, and clamped in position by v a, ring ||0 Yand bolts ||'I. YThe' ringf||0 is just this spring isY able to act on the iloat mechanism, "40

the proper size to nt into the nre tube 3o and Ythis tube is provided with a bead I2 to provide a Vextending rods 4 which support a ilame spreading plate l l5. The ring ||0 also carries a downwardly and outwardly flaring skirt I6 which terminates just above the top of the vaporizer |06. The skirt compels the air to pass underneath it to where air is preheated. This skirt also acts to prevent name from passing out through the sleeve |99 and up the tube 2|.

The bottom of the down draft tube 2| is closed oil by a hemispherical stamping |22, which lits into the ring |23 carried by the bottom of the tubeZl. As shown more clearly in Figure 1, the riser or air tube |01 receives a ring which carries anumber of ngers |21 of heat resistance wire of good thermal conducting material. These shaft carries a bimetallic coiled thermostat 4|. -This shaft is carried on brackets |42, |42' secured to the front end plate 26 and -the rear end plate of the combustion drum. The rear end of the thermostat coil |4| is xedly secured to the shaft and this shaft carries a member |44, having arm which normally engages a stop |46 when the thermostat is cold, see Figure 3. The member |44 is secured at |44 to a connecting rod |41 which extends downwardly. The lower end |48 of the connecting rod is secured to a slider $49 slotted at the top as indicated at |50 and passing about the support of the shaft |40. The lower end of the slider |49 passes through an opening |50 in the housing 20. This slider carries a bracket member |5| which extends down through another opening |52 in the housing 20.

The bracket |5| overlies the top or" the metering valve stern 19 and this stem is provided with an adjusting nut |53 whereby the extent of the opening of the metering valve may be controlled when the arm |45 carried by thermostatically operated member |44 is held against the stop |46. In thisway the iiow for the starting re is maintained. As the temperature of the combustion drum rises and the thermostat |4| becomes heated, it turns the element |44 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figures 3,4 and 5. This will Vcause the bracket |5| to move up away from the -metering valve so that the metering valve will be moved to the maximumopen position as determined by the high ire adjustment nut 94. Fur- 'the'r'expansion of the thermostat`|4| will cause the pivot point |44 between parts |44 and |41 to pass over the` center and then the parts |41, |48, |5| will move down. At the same time the stop arm |45 will pass around and approach the adjustable stop |54 shown in Figures 3, 4

`and 5.

by a'lockscrew |62 and a spring |63 forces the ,handle |6| toward the walls o the cover |59. To

keep the arm |5.| in adjusted position it is provided with a boss |54 adapted to enter into selected openings around the axis of the shaft |51. When the device is first assembled adjustments are made when Ythe screw |62 is loose. The handle IBI is then placed in its proper position and the screw |62 tightened, after which adjustments -of the thermostat may be made at will to vary the temperature of the air delivered Without disturbing any of the other parts of the device.

The sequence of metering valve stem movements is indicated in Figure 9. 'Ihe initial opening of the metering valve is indicated at the left At this time the nut |53 on the valve stem engages bracket and this bracket is held in its highest cold position by stop |46. As soon as the thermostat Ml heats up enough to imove the driven parts the slider |49 is lifted and this allows the valve stem 19 to rise under the influence of spring 80. This rise is indicated at 20|. The maximum valve opening determined by stop 9d is indicated at 202. The further heating of coil ldl continues the angular movement of Mil and the lifting of |49 and |5| until pivot point |154 reaches the upper position shown in Figure 4. Then the pivot point |44 lowers as indicated in Figure 5 and the part |5| reengages nut |53. The time when 15| is separated from 53 is indicated by doted line 253 in Figure 9. The further heating of the coil |4| causes the valve stem to be moved toward its closed position in an amount determined by the stop |54. This closing movement is indicated in Figure 9 at 204, This reduces the firing rate to so low an amount that the delivered air temperature falls and the cooling off of the thermostat |4| then causes an opening ci the valve as indicated at 205. The satisfaction of the thermostat will again cause a reduction of the firing rate and the continuously varying ring rate is indicated by the saw tooth line 206 at the right of Figure 9.

It will thus be seen that when the furnace is in continuous operation the thermostat |4| operates back and forth between the position where it permits high or maximum high fire operation r and theposition where it allows only pilot operation. The intensity of the fire, therefore, varies between the maximum and minimum, so that there is no likelihood of overheating the parts, or delivering the air at too high a temperature, or of extinguishment of the flame.

y The flow rate of a metering Valve at any selected adjustment varies Very widely `over ranges of temperature from 40 F. to room temperatures so that an adjustment for the very low temperature would allow a great excess of fuel to .flow at the higher ambient temperature. By having the metering valve move back and forth it is possible to have the maximum flow rate when operating for a high temperature rise of the air forced through the furnace and to rely on the thermostat to reduce the flow rate to the average amount needed.

At temperatures above about -20` F. gasoline and fuel'oil are able to retain a small amount of water in what appears to loe a solution, but below this temperature the water is thrown out 0f solution in the form of minute ice crystals, so small that they will not all be retained on the iine sieve in the strainer. Y Some of these crystals pass into the float chamber and tend to accumulate about the meteringvalve stem and to clog the orifice of the metering Valve stem,

especially when the stem is xed. By moving to form small droplets of water.

8 the stem back and forth thesecrystals are crushed and pushed through the orce. When the float chamber warms up the ice crystals melt so as These tend to move toward the metering valve stem slot and are forced on through to the burner. Accumulation of water in the vaporizer is prevented by the hot rods or fingers |21.

Portions of the subject matter herein shown are also shown and claimed in concurrently filed applications Serial Nos. 510,181, 510,182 and 510,183.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hot air furnace, a thermostat sublected to the furnace temperature of the heating medium and operable in response thereto between low temperature and high temperature stops, a gravity fed liquid fuel rlred burner for the furnace, a liquid fuel supply metering valve biased toward a maximum open position which provides a firing rate in excess of that required to maintain the furnace at the high temperature, and a reciprocating member operated vby said thermostat, said member having lost-motion pressure-transmitting means for applying pressure to the metering valve, said reciprocating member, when the thermostat is against either of the stops, limiting the opening of the metering valve to less than the maximum open position, the reciprocating member having a range of movement in one direction as the thermostat heats in excess of that necessary to allow'the valve to fully open and a range of'movement in the reverse direction on continued heating of the thermostat to bring it against the high temperature stop which reduces the valve opening to a lesser amount than that determined by the low temperature stop.

2. A hot air furnace having a gravity fed liquid fuel burner and controls to provide for initial preheating and subsequent normal operation wherein the ring rate during preheating is in excess of that during normaloperation and the firing rate during normal operation is continuously varied back and forth, said controls comprising a liquid fuel metering valve having means to bias it in one direction, a movable stem, a stop limiting its maximum opening, a thermostat of the differential expansion type subject to furnace temperatures, and operably connected to the stem to limit, when cold, the movement of the stem in the biaseddirection and on rise of temperature to release the valve for opening to the maximum extent and then on further rise to reduce its opening and to vary the opening wider and narrower as the thermostat temperature lowers and rises, there being a high temperature stop for the thermostat which limits the extent to which the valve may be closed by the thermostat.

3. In a hot air furnace, a' gravity fed liquid fuel burner, a metering valve having a stem biased toward open position and provided with a mum high fire stop, a thermal responsive element subject to the temperature of the air in the furnace, an oscillatory member movable by the thermal responsive element between a low temperature stop and a high temperature stop, a

reciprocatory member operably connected to the oscillatory mem-ber and a link connecting the oscillatory member and the reciprocatory member, the reciprocatory member bearing on the valve stem to limit its opening when the oscillatory member is against the low temperature stop and allowing the valve stem to further open as the` oscillatory member shifts away from said low temperature stop, the link passing through and over the center position on continued heatingr of the thermal element so that the reciprocatory member presses the valve stem toward closed position until the high temperature stop is reached.

4. A forced draft, forced circulation hot air heater having a blower unit for delivering a subst antally constant volume of air, a heat interchanger having fresh air passages through which a dominant part of the output of the blower unit l under forced draft and a maximum amount andi having a predetermined time lag, and a bimetallic temperature responsive element subjected to the temperature of the fresh air being heated in the interchanger and directly controlling the flow rate between said maximum and minimum amounts, the interchanger having a different time lag than the burner whereby the change of ring rateand the temperatureV attained by the bimetallic element are out o'f phase and the flow rate continuously varies.

5. AV heating'systein having a furnace, a liquid fuel burner for ring .the furnace, a metering valve for controlling the flow of liquid fuel to the burner and having a valve stem biased toward an open position, a stop limiting the maximum open position of the valve stem, a bimetallic thermostat in the heat output zone of the furnace, low temperature and high temperature stops limiting the movement of the thermostat, the

thermostat having continuous movement awayl from the low temperature vstop with increase of temperature of air in the furnace and toward said stop with lowering of temperatureof air in the furnace, a reciprocatory valve stem operator erator includes an oscillatory member and a connecting rod one end of which is carried by the oscillatory member and the other by the operator.

7. A self-contained hot air heating system comprising a forced circulation hot air furnace, a gravity fed liquid fuel burner for heating the furnace, a metering valve for controlling flow of fuel yto the burner and having a valve stem biased to move from a fully closed position to a maximum open position, a thermal motor in the furnacek and responsive to the air being heated therein, the thermal motor including a bimetallic thermostatic element, a reciprocatory valve stem operator movable toward the valve stem an amount insufcient to close the valve and away from the valve stem sucient to disengage itself from the valve stem so that the stem comes to the maximum open position, whereby the operator is only effective to control the firing rate in limited amounts less than the maximum, a first stop for-controlling the initial firing rate, a second stop for controlling the minimum firing rate, and conpositively connected to the thermostat to partake of all its movements and undergo reversal of direction during continuous movement of the thermostat in each direction, and, when said thermostat position is determined by the low temperature stop, engaging the valve stem to limit its opening to a predetermined amount less than the maximum, the thermostat on moving away 'from the low temperature stop first moving the operator to release the valve stem for movement toward its stop and after the valve stem has arrived at the maximum open position continuing to move further in the same direction without moving the valve stem and then reversing its direction until it reengages the valve stem whereupon, on further heating of the thermostat, the operator moves the valve stem toward closed position until the high temperature stop is reached which limits the extent to which the valve stem may be closed by the thermostat.

6. A system as in claim 5, wherein the connection between the thermostat and the valve opnections between the thermal motor and the valve stern operator which hold the operator in a positionV determined by the first stop to allow an intermediate opening of the valve when the thermostatic element is cold and on increase in temperature to first move the operator away from the first stop to release the valve stem for wider opening and continue to move it past the position where it disengages from the valve stem and on to one extreme position of its reciprocatory movement -where neither stop interferes with its movement whereupon it starts in the other direction and moves toward the valve stem operator and the secondstop until it reaches the valve stem operator and thereupon initiates a closing movement of the valve so long as the thermostat temperature increases and until the second stop is 4 0 reached, the diminished firing rate being insufficient to maintain the circulating air at the maximum temperature so that the thermostatic element cools, the cooling movement being eifective to increase the fuel flow and raise the temperature of the circulating air.

8. A valve having a vertical valve stem spring pressed toward an open position, a valve stem stop, a horizontal spirally wound bimetallic thermostat, an oscillatory member operated by the thermostat in accordance with the temperature of the thermostat, stops limiting thermostat movement, a, link connected to the oscillatory member at a point which, when the thermostat is cold and arrested by one stop moves upwardly with increase of temperature until said point moves over the center of oscillation and then moves downwardly until the other stop is reached, and a vertically reciprocatory member connected to the other end of the link, the link acting to move the vertically reciprocatory member from a low position determined by the first stop to a high position and then lowering it to another low position determined by the other stop, the reciprocatory member engaging the valve stem and partially closing the valve whenever the member is against either stop, the reciprocatory member when in positions higher than those corresponding with the maximum valve opening being free of the valve stem.

9. In a heater which includes a circulating hot air furnace, a gravity fed liquid fuel burner for heating the furnace and a fuel metering valve biased to move from a fully closed position to a maximum open position, the improvement which comprises, a differential expansion type thermal vfurnace and toward said stop with lowering temperature of air in the furnace, and thermal motor operated, valve controllingv mechanism having back and forth movement with reversal in direction taking place during continuous movement of the thermal motor in each direction, the mechanism when positioned bythe low temperature stop limitingfthe valve opening to an amount less than the maximumvo'pening but substantially greater than that suiiicient to maintain a pilot iiame in the burner whereby substantial heat output may be obtained to increase furnace temperature, the mechanism acting on continued increase in temperature and while moving in one direction to rst free the valve from restraint s o that it fully opens and thereafter to vchange its direction of movement and reduce the opening ofthe valve, this reduction in amount of valve opening continuing with increase of temperature until the heat output is reduced below an amount suicient to maintain the attained rise in temperature, whereby the burner, furnace andthermal motor become cooler and the thermal motor retraces its movement to correspondingly free the valve stern and allow the valve to open and increase the flow of fuel.

1'0. The combination of claim 9, having ahigh temperature stop, limiting the movement of the thermal motor on vincrease in temperature, the thermal motor then positioning the valve in the minimum open position to maintain a pilot flame in the burner,

'11. In combinatio fed burner, a hot air vfurnace heated thereby, a metering valve having a stem biased toward a maximm open position, manu-aimons Vfor 'r'e-v leasing the valve; stem and-,foi 'moviog'it to olo'seciv position', a single thermal motor subject to'air in the' furnace, and thermal m'o'to'r operated valve stem controlling linkage' having, rstly, means for limiting the initialv opening to an amount less than the maximum, secondly, means eiective during'a predetermined rise in furnace terfipfera-V ture for gradually freeing the valve stem from restraint so that it'fully opens, thirdly, means effective at a further rise in temperature for reestablishing control of thevalve vstein and moving it nearer closed position than the initial opening, and fourthly, means operative upon subsequent cooling and heating to move the valve stern back and forth in a range o f openings below the maximum opening.

W. DE LANCEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

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